Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time - Chapter 24: Thoughts Of Auction, Evasive Fish And Cursed Treasure?

A conversation with a handsome stranger leaves Ariane chained in a cellar with a strange affliction. She soon discovers that the darkness of the nineteenth century’s Deep South hides many dangers. Mages, wolf shifters and the humans who hunt them play a risky game where to stumble is to die, all under the amused gaze of the apex predators of the supernatural world: vampires.

It is never healthy to attract the gaze of the aristocracy of the night. It takes much to survive in this merciless world, but Ariane will not let that deter her. The southern belle has a bite, and she is willing to learn and to grow in this hostile new world. She will use whatever means necessary to reclaim her freedom, be it guile, charm, or those intriguing new instincts that make blood so delectable.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags.

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.

Transmigrated, Qi Huan became the daughter of an exiled criminal.With only a thatched cottage at the start, it collapsed before long…Fortunately, she was bound to a powerful express delivery system.As long as she did good deeds and accumulated points, she could achieve free delivery!More surprisingly, her neighbor, the waste prince, turned out to be a point farming bug —Helping others +1 point.Helping the waste prince +100 points.From then on, she treated the waste prince as a point farming tool.…But became the waste prince’s one and only intimate person.Once abolished, falling from the clouds into the mud, people avoided him like snakes and scorpions.Only Qi’s little girl always had a bright smile as she sidled up to him.Offering free help without reason, she must be up to no good!At first, Li Shuchen maintained full vigilance.…Later, he gave all his tenderness to her.She opened restaurants and taverns, and he silently protected her;As her chain stores and industry expanded, he became her strong backup;When she donated supplies and did good deeds, he accompanied her.When she came of marriageable age, he proposed with betrothal gifts and a phoenix coronet, welcoming her in full ceremonial attire.From then on, the inner palace had no concubines, only doting on the one.

“I am Yang Jian. By the time you read this, I've already been dead...”A strange parchment, an eye that peeks into the darkness. This is the memoir of a person who survived.

Balthazar was just a random giant crab enjoying his life in a fantasy world full of bothersome human adventurers, but then he had to go and accidentally discover the secret of attributes and levels. And also pie. With baked goods and coin as his new life goals, he turns to the competitive business of trading the random junk adventurers loot every day.Follow Balthazar as he does everything to find a baker... except leave his pond, because exploring the dangerous world out there is for suckers. Witness how adventurers just can't seem to stop dying around his home. And cheer for a crab who makes great new friends by simply buying them.Book 2 is out now, with new chapters every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, fresh off the bakery!What to expect from this story:- No harems, not unless they're a harem of gold coins.- Silliness, lots of it. The story doesn't take itself too seriously, so you shouldn't either.- The only kind of OP here is how “overpriced” the crab's deals are.- A system simple enough for a crab to use, but still conveniently complex when necessary, for some odd reason.- Proper realistic adventurers: they're not very bright, and they make very poor decisions.- Did I mention there will be pastries?